foundation of the First African Baptist Church in 1805, Paul also helped establish black baptist churches all across America. He traveled to New York in 1808 to help a movement of fellow black members of the First Baptist Church in creating another independent black Baptist church. He attended many congregations and preached to large groups regarding the possibility of founding this new independent church. In 1808, the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York was founded. His brother, Benjamin Paul, was also involved in the founding and later became a minister for the Abyssinian Baptist Church. Educational and missionary involvement In 1815, Paul travelled with Prince Saunders to England on a delegation to educate young children from the Massachusetts Baptist Society, meeting William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson. A topic raised was black emigration to Haiti. With the support of the white Massachusetts Baptist Society, in May 1817, Paul left for Cap-Haïtien, Haiti as a missionary. He discovered other Christian Protestants, but speaking no French, he made little impact on the Catholic population there. He forged relationships with the Haitian President, Jean-Pierre Boyer and his Secretary General, Joseph Balthazar Inginac. In December 1817, he returned to Boston giving a favorable report of his work in Haiti. Haitian President Jean-Pierre Boyer asked Paul encourage the emigration of black Americans to Haiti. Paul returned to Haiti in July 1824 with black families from Boston, but ultimately failed as many of them could not adjust. After this experience, Thomas Paul became a strong opposer of colonization. Paul was affiliated with the Education Society for the People of Colour. Together with other black leaders, he contributed to the development of black Liberation Theology by tying biblical teachings to social justice and the quest for African American equal acceptance in society. He also played a key role in Boston black community as member of the African Grand Lodge no. 459 which later became known as Prince Hall Mason. Paul was opposed to integrated education as he believed that black children would receive better education from classrooms taught by black instructors with other black children. He earned a reputation of being an eloquent speaker, well-organized and educated. After attending one of his sermons, Boston resident William Bentley wrote "[Thomas Paul] impressed the audience with a regard to his sincerity and many with a sense of his talents." Final years Paul served the African Baptist Church from 1805 to